Met Desperate, Laid-Off Members at Halliburton
“Our members are desperate and upset about how the company has chosen to carry out the downsizing,” says union leader Knut Nesland at Halliburton Norway.
The oil service giant Halliburton recently announced that it will reorganize and cut many positions. At the same time, Norwegian union leader Knut Nesland from the union Styrke learned that management will not follow the practices used in previous rounds of downsizing.
The union representatives have not been involved in setting the criteria for the downsizing or in the selection process. The company has offered severance packages, but the union is not aware of the contents or the extent of these packages.
“Many of our members chose not to accept the severance package. They have now been laid off,” says Nesland.
According to the union leader, the number of layoffs is high, but due to confidentiality, he cannot disclose the exact number.
Possible Lawsuits
Representatives from the union Styrke and the local union met last week with several members who have received termination notices.
“We arranged an information meeting to inform them about their rights in such processes and to show that we, as union representatives and the union itself, are here to support them,” says Nesland.
Among other things, the union is encouraging all laid-off employees to request what’s known as a “Section 17.3 meeting.”
“That’s an opportunity to discuss the company’s decision and have it reassessed. And we always urge members to bring a union representative to meetings with the company.”
The union leader also questions the need for downsizing at Halliburton right now.
“I don’t understand the basis for laying people off. The company’s activity level is extremely high. Just so far this year, we’ve hired over 300 new employees, and as recently as early October, another 20 were hired. There’s also a lot of overtime work, and we’re using external labor,” says Nesland.
He expects that the terminations will lead to lawsuits.
“I don’t see how we can avoid legal action, given the current situation. It’s unfortunate, since we’ve always managed to avoid going to court in previous downsizing processes. At the same time, I strongly believe we will succeed,” says Nesland.
Creating Unrest Among Employees
Gro Losvik, section leader at Styrke, also attended the meeting with those who were laid off. She emphasizes the importance of providing everyone affected with the necessary information about the situation and their rights.
“Of course, processes like this cause panic for those who are told they’re losing their jobs.”
“In addition, it creates unnecessary unrest and insecurity in the workplace in general when things are handled in such a messy way. The company has acted in a way that’s un-Norwegian, unilaterally dictating the criteria for the terminations. Management has simply pointed out who they no longer want employed in the company. Among other things, they have chosen to disregard seniority,” she explains.
According to lawyer Ulrik Haukali from Styrke, each dismissal must be treated as an individual case.
“The dismissed employees have the right to remain in their jobs as long as their case is under potential review in the legal system,” he says, adding that such cases can take a long time.
He also emphasizes that the union covers all expenses related to such processes.
At the same time, the union will also pursue what’s called a collective dispute, and has already held a mediation meeting with the employers’ association Offshore Norge — without reaching an agreement.
